Alton History

Here are some brief historical notes about Alton.  We plan to develop this page and if you are interested in the history of the village and would like to contribute some further material please contact us - click here

Alton is a very ancient village. It was first recorded in 716 AD but it is around 1000 AD that the first Alton Castle in mentioned. A stone castle built around 1150 AD replaced the castle constructed of wood. This castle provided the security required enabling the village Alverston or Alverton, as it was then known to thrive and grow.
Many books have been written recounting the history of Alton indicating that it has always been a prosperous area for trade. As in the past there are still many Hostelries evident in the village although they have slowly diminished from the heady days when the High Street alone hosted four Public Houses.  It is also evident that because of this there was obviously a need to prevent over-indulgence and for this reason the "Round House" or "Lockup" was built around 1830 AD. This is a significant landmark in the area due to its unique construction.
The Church of St. Peter was built around 1178 by Bertrum de Verdun within the castle walls and it has been partly rebuilt due to damage caused during various attacks on the castle through the early years. It is in the style of a true Norman Church with the Tower and North Aisle being truly original parts.

The sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury known as the "good Earl John" cared for the welfare of the poor of the district and it is he who employed the famous architect Augustus Welby Pugin to design and build St John’s Church a hospice, a school and sheltered housing for the poor in the form of a quadrangle in the area known as "Castle Hill".

The surrounding area of Alton and the Churnet Valley nearby provide some of the best walks to be found in North Staffordshire with the view from Toothill being particularly spectacular. The old railway line which was part of the old "Knotty Railway" linking Alton with Uttoxeter, Stafford and the south is now a footpath which follows the River Churnet down the length of the valley with the view of Alton Castle forming a superb backdrop.